SILVERGATE DEVELOPMENT AT LITTLE FLOWER HAVEN CONVENT SITE BACK UP FOR A REVOTE TUESDAY IN LA MESA; COUNCIL ALSO CONSIDERS ELIMINATING DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
By Jonathan Goetz Photo: Little Flower Haven circa 1954, via Postcards.com on City of La Mesa’s website. September 10, 2017 (La Mesa) – The hotly disputed Silvergate apartment development proposed at the site of the former Little Flower Haven convent is back up for a vote this Tuesday in La Mesa. The decision to re-hear the item comes under threat of legal action. The Council deadlocked 2-2 in front of a Council chamber packed with nearby residents opposed to the parking variance allowing Silvergate’s 193 parking spaces for the 130 unit development instead of the 260 required by La Mesa municipal code. Silvergate’s attorney sent a letter to La Mesa following the deadlock stating, “We request that the City Council immediately vote to reconsider your decision not to ratify the decision of the City’s Design Review Board (‘DRB’). If you do not, Pathfinder will immediately file a lawsuit. We believe such a suit would prove to be very costly for the City’s voters and taxpayers.” The developer contends that the measure should be approved since it fulfilled requirements of a state density bonus that allows a waiver from parking requirements in exchange for the developer devoting 10 percent of the units to affordable housing. That’s stirred up substantial controversy, with many neighbors contending there is not adequate parking already in this older neighborhood with single-car garages. Many residents spoke against the proposal at the last Council hearing and have voiced frustration in online forums against the state law that does not take into account the impact of parking waivers on surrounding neighborhoods. Also up for discussion, in a subsequent motion, is the future of the Design Review Board, which recommended approval of this project on a 3 to 2 vote. If the Design Review Commission is eliminated, its duties would be shifted to the city’s Planning Commission. The agenda item is proposed by Councilmember Kristine Alessio, who voted for the Silvergate project due to the legal concerts, and Councilman Baber who voted against it over concerns about what he viewed as a conflict with Design Review Commission members. The Design Review Commission is comprised of two city staff from Community Development and three outside professionals. The two La Mesa City staff members on the Board, Development Director Carol Dick and Senior City Planner Chris Jacobs, both voted for the controversial development. The Silvergate development would provide $20,000 in permit and impact fees per unit. But some La Mesa residents have voiced concerns over eliminating the added layer of review for development projects currently provided by the Design Review Commission. One suggestion to avoid conflicts is to replace city staffers with citizens not affiliated with development special interests. .
SCAMMERS POSE AS SOCIAL SECURITY EMPLOYEES TO CON SENIORS
By Miriam Raftery September 10, 2017 (San Diego) — Scammers posing as Social Security employees are calling people and trying to con them into giving out personal information that can be used for identity theft, warns the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The swindlers claim that recipients are due a cost of living increase in their Social Security benefits, then ask for personal information that could be used to rip off your Social Security payments by changing your address or account information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. For questions, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, or for the hearing impaired, call 1-800-325-0778.
SDSU WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS AT MISSOURI 2-1
Root scores her third goal in last three games Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com September 10, 2017 (Columbia, Mo.) – San Diego State took an early 1-0 lead in the first half, but could not hold on as Missouri rallied to win, 2-1, Sunday night at Walton Stadium. The Aztecs fell to 3-4 on the season, while the Tigers improved to 3-4-1. SDSU took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Esther Arnarsdottir fired a shot that hit the post and the rebound went straight to true freshman classmate Mia Root, who posted her third goal of the season and third in her last three games. San Diego State carried its one-goal advantage late into the first half, but Missouri got on the board in the 36th minute when Tess Rellihan sent a well-struck ball into the upper right corner of the net to level the score. Madison Lewis assisted on the goal. The Tigers later took the lead in the in the 69th minute when Lindsey Whitmore tapped in her shot into an open-faced net. SDSU searched for the equalizer in the final 21 minutes, but was unsuccessful as it finished its road trip with a 1-1 record after defeating No. 22 Nebraska on Friday. The Aztecs, who outshot the Tigers, 11-7, in the first half, ended the game with a 19-15 advantage in shots. San Diego State doubled Missouri’s shots-on-goal total, as well, putting eight on target compared to MU’s four. SDSU also attempted 11 corner kicks, four more than the Tigers. Nikolina Musto led the Aztecs with five shots and three shots on goal. Aliyah Utush, meanwhile, attempted four shots. Goalkeeper Gabby English made two saves in net. SDSU returns home to prepare for next Friday’s road test at Texas Tech. The game is set for 7 p.m. CT in Lubbock, Texas and will stream live on TexasTech.com. Box score
POWER GOES OUT TWICE IN ONE WEEK ON HELIX STREET AND VISTA DRIVE
By Jake Christie September 10, 2017 (Spring Valley) — A small section of Spring Valley suffered two power outages on August 28-29 and September 2-3, knocking power out on half of Vista Drive and Helix Street from where it connects to Lamar Street almost to the point where Helix connects to Montemar Drive. In the first instance, the power was out from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and the second from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. The first power outage happened after a short downpour, and was a brownout before power completely died. The power company bucket truck arrived on Lamar Street and was working on a pole near the power substation on that road. The next time they made it to a pole transformer on Rosedale Drive. Most of the people in the area either lit candles or turned on a generator and there was no foot traffic as people went to see what was going on. SDG&E listed the first outage as due to the rain. ECM asked SDG&E for an explanation on the second outage, but did not receive a reply by press deadline.
ROUND TWO SUSPENDED FOR SDSU MEN’S GOLF AT GOPHER INVITATIONAL
Tournament to resume Monday; Aztecs tied for 12th Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com September 10, 2017 (Independence, Minn.) – The San Diego State men’s golf team finds itself in a tie for 12th place at the Gopher Invitational after play was suspended on Sunday toward the end of round two due to darkness. Collectively, the Aztecs sit at 21-over par with four starters still on the course at the par-71, 7,388-yard Windsong Farm Golf Club when dusk fell. San Diego State finished the opening round in third place after posting a combined 3-over 287, but experienced a precipitous drop in the afternoon, falling into a tie for 12th with Iowa and Penn State. Play is scheduled to resume on Monday, starting at 8:30 a.m. CT/6:30 a.m. PT. Individually, Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.) was the lone SDSU player to complete both rounds finishing the day in a tie for 40th at 5-over 147. The Aztec junior shot a 70 over the first 18 holes, offsetting two bogeys with a trio of birdies, including a successful drain on his back-nine at the par-4, 471-yard No. 1 green. However, Abercrombie was unable to sustain the momentum in the afternoon, stumbling 33 places on the leaderboard on the heels of a second-round 77. In addition, Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) remains in an eight-way tie for 18th at 3-over with two holes remaining in the second round. The Aztec sophomore carded a 71 in the morning session, highlighted by four birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-4, 469-yard No. 2, which ranked as the most difficult hole of round one. The San Marcos High alumnus added three more birdies in the second round, but six bogeys has prevented a loftier perch. Elsewhere PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) occupies the 46th position at 6-over with five holes remaining his second round. The SDSU senior got off to a wobbly start in the opening round, going bogey-double bogey on his first two greens, before regrouping with 11 pars and three birdies en route to a 74. Samiere notched back-to-back drains on No. 12 and 13 in the afternoon, easing the sting of a triple bogey on the par-5 No. 9. Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) shot a 1-over 72 in his first collegiate round, sinking a trio of birdies to counter four bogeys. However, the Aztec freshman experienced difficulty in round two, slipping 32 places into a tie for 48th at 7-over with two holes to go. Anupansuebsai recorded birdies at the par-4 No. 8 and the par-5 12th, but six bogeys and a double have proven difficult to overcome. The SDSU rotation also features Eric Ghim (Glendale, Ariz.), who sits in a tie for 74th at 13-over with one hole remaining in the second round. The Aztec sophomore was unable to sustain any consistency in the morning, settling for a 78. Despite logging three birdies. Ghim was plagued by a rash of six bogeys and two doubles before suffering six additional blemishes in round two. Kent State’s Ian Holt was one of 32 golfers to complete both rounds on Sunday, grabbing the individual lead after posting a 5-under 137, while Pepperdine’s Sahith Theegala and Arizona State’s Alex Del Rey Gonzalez lurk just one shot behind in a tie for second at 4-under. Rounding out the top five are Arkansas’ Mason Overstreet (-3) and Virginia Tech’s Mark Lawrence (-1). In the team standings, Arkansas (+1) currently owns a three-stroke advantage over Baylor (+4), followed by Oklahoma (+8), Michigan State (+10) and Charlotte (+13). The Aztecs also have two golfers competing in the auxiliary Gopher Invitational individual tournament, being conducted at the par-72, 6,953-yard Pioneer Creek Golf Course in Maple Plain, Minn. Junior Otto Vanhatalo (Espoo, Finland) finds himself in a tie for 20th at 9-over 153 on rounds of 77-76, while senior Pablo Matesanz remains in 25th after carding a 12-over 156 (80-76). Gopher Invitational Round Two Results Suspended Due to Darkness Windsong Farm G.C. Par 71, 7,388 yards Team Standings (Top 5 of 16 teams + SDSU) 1. Arkansas (+1) through holes 14-18 2. Baylor (+4) through holes 16-17 3. Oklahoma (+8) through holes 16-17 4. Michigan State (+10) through holes 16-17 5. Charlotte (+13) through holes 13-18 — T12. San Diego State (+21) through holes 13-18 Individual Leaders (Top 7 of 87 players + SDSU) 1. Ian Holt, Kent State 70-67—137 (-5) T2. Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine 68-70—138 (-4) T2. Alex Del Rey Gonzalez, Arizona State 71-67—138 (-4) 4. Mason Overstreet, Arkansas 72-67—139 (-3) T5. Mark Lawrence, Virginia Tech 72-69—141 (-1) T5. Matthew Perrine, Baylor (-1) through hole 17 T5. Connor Purcell, Charlotte (-1) through hole 13 — T18. Trevor Norby, SDSU (+3) through hole 16 T40. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU 70-77—147 (+5) T46. PJ Samiere, SDSU (+6) through hole 13 T48. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU (+7) through hole 16 T74. Eric Ghim, SDSU (+13) through hole 17 Gopher Invitational Individual Tournament Day One Results Pioneer Creek G.C. Maple Plain, Minn. Par 72, 6,953 yards SDSU Individual Scores Only T20. Otto Vanhatalo, SDSU 77-76—153 (+9) 25. Pablo Matesanz, SDSU 80-76—156 (+12)
SAN DIEGO RIVER PARK FOUNDATION’S 16TH ANNIVERSARY
East County News Service September 11, 2017 (San Diego) – The San Diego River Park Foundation will celebrate its 16th anniversary on September 21 from 6-9 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort Hotel in Mission Valley. Festivities include live music, food, wine, beer, awards presentation and a silent auction –all for a $10 suggested donation. To donate, click here: Register
IRMA WALLOPS FLORIDA, HEADING NEXT TO GEORGIA
By Miriam Raftery September 10, 2017 (San Diego) – Measuring 400 miles wide with winds still up to 120 miles an hour, Hurricane Irma has slammed into the Florida Keys and Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm that began as a powerful category 5 hurricane first devastated islands across the Caribbean with winds up to 185 mph, before striking Florida as a still-strong category 4 hurricane. High winds have knocked out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses statewide, Reuters reports. The hurricane has sucked water out of harbors and send storm surges up to 15 feet high rushing through populous areas, causing flooded streets and swaying skyscrapers in Miami. The storm has also spawned tornados, twisters adding to the havoc as power lines and trees have toppled, roofs have been ripped from structures, and residents who defied evacuation orders have hunkered down to weather the storm. In the Caribbean, Irma has killed at least 39 people. President Donald Trump has issued an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico as well as Florida. The declaration authorizes the use of federal funds for the counties of Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pinellas and Sarasota. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that the assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, Irma has weakened to a category 2 but is still capable of deadly impacts. It has veered northwest and is forecast to bring heavy rainfall of up to 20 inches, high winds and storm surges to Georgia. Parts of Alabama, Tennessee, North and South Carolina will also be impacted, the National Weather Service predicts. On the heels of Irma is Hurricane Jose, now a category 3 hurricane in the Caribbean that could strike areas previously deluged by Irma. If you wish to donate money to help survivors of Hurricane Irma, here are two responsible charities raising money specifically for relief in this storm: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hurricane-irma-relief-fund/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit http://newfloridamajority.org/wp/get-involved/donate/irmacommunityrecoveryfund/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit For the latest hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings, visit the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.